On 16 January, Neale Hanvey, Alba MP, presented the Scottish (Self-Determination) Bill in Westminster, which seeks to amend the Scotland Act 1998, to grant the Scottish Parliament the power to conduct a referendum on independence without requiring approval from the central government.
The Edinburgh Agreement, established following the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum, laid out a legal framework for the possibility of another independence referendum in Scotland.
A key stipulation of this agreement was that if a Scottish general election resulted in a government with a clear mandate, Holyrood could then formally request that Westminster hold a referendum.
Hanvey’s bill expands the powers of the Scottish government, granting Holyrood the authority to hold a referendum on any devolved issue without seeking permission from Westminster.
If this was enacted, the legislation would eliminate the dependency of Holyrood on the UK government to authorise a referendum, giving them autonomy to call for a referendum on any matter within their jurisdiction.
A survey conducted by The Student revealed that if a referendum on Scottish Independence were to be held tomorrow, 57 per cent of Scottish respondents would vote ‘Yes’.
50 per cent of English, Welsh, and Northern Irish respondents and 100 per cent of those not identifying as British would also vote ‘Yes’.
Additionally, 81 per cent of all respondents responded that they would support a second independence referendum being held within the next five years.
Among those inclined to vote ‘Yes’, reasons included a desire to detach from what one student described as the “sinking ship that is Westminster” and the belief that Scotland needs independence to thrive.
Respondents also cited the potential to rejoin the European Union, having been too young to vote in 2014, and dissatisfaction with current devolved powers.
In contrast, students who would vote ‘No’ expressed scepticism about Scotland’s ability to function effectively as an independent nation.
Some respondents mentioned that the outcome of the 2024 General Election and the potential for Labour to succeed the Conservative Party would influence their vote in a hypothetical second ‘Indyref’ (independence referendum).
“Flag of Scotland” by James.Stringer is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
